Wrong – Way Crashes on Interstate Highways

In 2010 over 100 wrecks occurred on Tennessee interstates because a driver was operating down the wrong side of the roadway.

There are several reasons this can occur. First, the driver of the vehicle going down the interstate the wrong way can be intoxicated by alcohol or operating under the influence of another drug. Liability may be imposed on the driver and, if the excessive consumption of alcohol contributed to the problem, those who illegally served an obviously intoxicated person may bear some responsibility.

Second, the signage at the entry point of interstate can be absent or misleading. It is not uncommon for people in road construction areas to be lead astray by poor signage or signs that are just plain wrong. Under these circumstances, those involved in the road construction project may have some responsibility for what occurred.

Third, the wrong-way driver may have been distracted for some other reason.

In each of these circumstances, it is important to promptly do an investigation to determine what caused the at-fault driver to end up on the wrong side of the highway and document the results of that investigation.